ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — a list
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a music group
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — goods
  23. band — a ring
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com